Satellite lobbying push could mean higher cable bills

SATELLITE LOBBYING PUSH COULD MEAN HIGHER CABLE BILLS
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Anne Broache]
In a political gambit that could lead to higher fees for cable providers and their subscribers, the satellite television industry urged politicians on Thursday to enact a federal law prohibiting "discriminatory" taxes. DirecTV and Dish Network executives argue that the federal legislation is needed because six states--Ohio, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Utah--have enacted laws in recent years that impose steeper taxes on satellite subscribers than on cable subscribers. They claim that those laws are a direct result of cable industry lobbying in an effort to make their prices more competitive with those charged by satellite operators. In congressional testimony on Thursday, a DirecTV executive called for "equalizing" taxes. In states where taxes may be deemed unequal, satellite taxes could go down or stay the same while taxes on cable providers could rise.
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